“Follow closely and cover the flanks.” Kelgan managed to give instructions even when he charged through the monsters’ ranks. They were fighting a swarm of little cat-sized insectoids called Scobwers. Monsters were hardly reaching a knee in their height, with strong jaws and multiple appendages that allowed them to quickly squirm through the ground.
“I will go for the leader. You protect the rear. Go!” The man cast his wide-area attack, throwing the monster to the side. Without a moment of hesitation, he jumped forward with the vim of a flying arrow, not leaving even a moment to regroup for the swarm of Scobwers.
Selene reacted to the subtle change of the battle. She immediately cast a rain of icicles alongside the charging Kelgan. The wave of sword and ice hit the rank of monsters, instinctively grouped up after being pushed back. It looked like the hunter alone pushed down the whole swarm.
Adira wanted to take part in the attack, but it was not her duty. Her abilities were ill-suited for fighting swarms. She can still put up a fight. Her glaive was fast and on point, catching every stray creature trying to sneak up on the caster. It was their usual tactic against multiple enemies. Kelgan forces the way through with the support of the magic, while Stoneson and Adira cover the flanks and the rear.
Adira’s side was deserted and faced a wall. She lacked action. More burrowers poured out from the Stoneson’s side. A new swarm wave quickly formed and charged towards Selene. Their ability to dig through and attack from multiple angles made attacking their lair an almost impossible task unless the team was at a significantly higher level than the monsters.
Stoneson was a high-level warrior. With a curse escaping his lips, he repositioned himself and shouted a war cry. The monsters urged him to attack him, unable to resist the spell effect. He threw them away with the wide swings of his sword. The bulky man looked like he was fighting a sea tide, throwing waves away from him. Somehow it worked. However, he balanced on a very thin edge between repelling the attack and being overwhelmed.
Panic swelled in Adira’s chest. She felt compelled to help her teammate. A warrior must act and adapt to the chaos of the battle, the Stoneson taught her. Adira took his teachings to heart. Getting low to the ground the girl rushed towards the swarm with a perfect distraction in mind. A way to plug the hole from which the burrowers were squirming out. She activated “Sky Crusher.” The only skill from her Godslayer class. A brilliant golden light enveloped her like a shell. It was so smoldering hot, that whatever touched it simply evaporated. She ran through monsters like a hot knife through the butter, not meeting any resistance.
With each step Adira made, a thin thread was left in the air, trailing her path. As soon as the girl moved out of the range it exploded behind her into a wall of fire. Bright golden flames reached towards the sky forming a blazing barrier that would cut cleanly anything caught in it.
Adira circled through the swarm of Scobwers. Without meeting any resistance this was a walk in the park. As soon as she reached the hole the monsters dug to flank the group the girl plugged it running in front of the exit.
Saving her mana Adira cancelled the skill effect. The firewall would stay for a couple of seconds, giving her the break, she needed. In a practiced motion, the girl reached into her pouch and grabbed a mana potion. She gulped it in one go, not wasting any time. It tasted bitter, but the girl was so used to keeping up her fighting ability with potions that the taste was lost to her senses. The mana regenerated in a sluggish drag that felt like an eternity. While Adira recovered the flames dissipated, and, suddenly, she realized her mistake. That maneuver did nothing to stop the attack, it just delayed it for a moment. Without hesitation, the burrowers renewed their charge.
The girl found herself face to face with a sea of monsters rushing to kill her. Her heart thudded loudly in her ears. It was not a strategic fight anymore it was a fight for survival. With a sharp breath, Adira stopped herself from freezing in panic and brought her senses back into a fight. It was nothing compared to the monster she saw as a child.
Her glaive caught a couple of burrowers who were fast enough to approach her. Quickly the girl assessed the situation. She was surrounded. Stoneson fought his way through to rescue her. The swarm approached him as well. Although she hated to waste her mana so early in a fight there was no other choice. Adira activated her skill again. She did a quick circle in front of the tunnel the monsters were coming from and rushed back.
It was not as simple as her first dash. That one attack cost her about two-thirds of her mana pool. Using the skill to reach safety would take more than what she had to make it back. Still, the girl ran. Adira’s vision slowly blurred with a red bloody veil, the first sign of mana exhaustion. Then the magic flow started to get disrupted. The flames surrounding her flickered. The huntress had no mana left. The blazing barrier guarding her from danger disappeared. Multiple rows of enemies stood between her and the saving grace of Stoneson’s shield.
The monsters drowned their eyes with their numbers. The huntress pulled two more mana potions. She had done the motion thousands of times, but it was not fast enough. Before the uncorked vials reached her mouth one of the monsters crashed headfirst into her chest. Its jaws screeched hitting the metal of her breastplate. Another one bit into the unprotected flesh of her leg, just under the knee. The girl fell with a short yelp.
Quickly she became a part of the swarm. They coursed over her to join the frontline, chipped into her armor in search of poorly covered spots. The huntress covered her head with a reinforced gauntlet. But she felt that it was soon going to be torn through. Each time a monster found its way to bite under the protective gear the girl whimpered and gritted her teeth. She never wished to wear full plate armor more than today. If only Adira had enough mana for a quick activation of her spell. She could have stood up and fought properly. Now she only reserved to push the disgusting creatures away from her and prayed Stoneson would save her soon.
The Scobwers froze. They lost all their organization and looked around screeching in search of something. Pushing them off, Adira stood up and prepared her glaive.
“Clean them up!” Kelgan returned from the tunnel defeating the matriarch in command. No need to tell Adira twice. The girl quickly stabbed disoriented creatures around her with a sense of accomplishment. It was now her time to hurt them. Icicles rained from the ceiling, supporting her effort. The burrowers scattered, escaping through the tunnels, or digging themselves down into the ground. The team successfully finished cleaning the lair.
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It was finally time to catch a breath. Adira barely survived. Her arms and legs were slowly bleeding, staining her gauntlets and boots. The girl quickly downed a health potion and followed it up with mana potions. Her head pulsed from mana exhaustion. Suddenly Stoneson pushed her on the shoulder and turned Adira to face him. The man did not hesitate to express his anger.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Yeah, I’ve got bit because of you!” Selene was pouring the health potion over the wound on her calf. Because Adira left her position for a blind charge it left an opening for the monsters to sneak up on a caster. Well, one small bite was not the only reason the mage complained. She never hesitated to support anyone scorning Adira.
“I told you numerous times, no fire magic in the tunnels! And look at what you have done!” Stoneson pointed upwards. The ceiling was cleanly cut and blazed by her spell. The cavities ran deep and made the rocky roof wobble indecisively. “How many times have I told you that you would collapse the tunnel on us?”
“I am sorry! I thought-”
“Quiet.” The leader did not let the girl defend herself. “Adira, I am tired of your thoughtless actions. You have your assignment for the party, and you must do it! It is one thing to risk your life, but you never have the right to endanger others. Think before you do something.”
Listening to his commanding tone was the worst. The huntress did not feel like she deserved the lecture. Still, as always, everybody turned to scorn her. What was she supposed to do? Not help? Unfortunately, she did not have the courage to voice her defense. Settling the accusations aside, Kelgan asked more calmly.
“Now, did you gain any levels?”
“I am level 25 now.” Adira nodded. The long-awaited message had finally arrived.
Godslayer level 24 leveled up to Godslayer level 25. New skill is available.
“That's good progress.” Kelgan was level 59, with Stoneson being at 52. Selene trailed them with her 38th level. Adira could not figure out how the girl had such a high level. They were basically the same age, but somehow Selene was a proper royal hunter, at least in terms of levels. Which did not tie in with her personality.
“I reached the queen while you were busy here. The burrowers individually are not a threat. I’d say the extermination is complete. Duke should be happy with us.”
“Then can we explore the forest?” Adira suddenly perked up. It was the best opportunity to hunt in the most dangerous monster area known. They picked a request in a town nearby and were free for at least a week now that it was finished. The girl was looking to hunt in these parts for strong monsters even before joining Kelgan’s party. Unfortunately, not everyone shared her enthusiasm.
“I’ll think about it. Let’s go back.” Kelgan’s voice did not offer much hope. Adira knew she would not let this opportunity go to waste. She must hunt in that forest. After all, the arachne settled there not that long ago. There was her chance at revenge.
The young huntress tracked the monster her whole life. Recently the arachne’s lair was attacked by the Lightning Hunters, an elite group led by the Son of Odeum himself. With support from a couple of other royal hunter parties, they chased her out of the lair. She settled in the forest less than a couple of months ago. With the Godslayer class, Adira was sure she could kill her. After all, her skills were made to fight enemies like the arachne.
The girl only needed to find a way to convince Kelgan. She felt invigorated for the upcoming hunt. The team lectured the girl the whole way back to the city, but she remained in good spirits. Her dream was within reach after such a long time. All the anger, all the despair, all the nightmares fueled Adira for this moment. She would not let it go to waste.
“I decided to leave you here. You are not suited to be a royal hunter.” A calm voice hit Adira like a cold shower. They were barely in town for a day. The party decided to have a celebration for a successfully completed mission. It was supposed to be a gathering in a local tavern. Kelgan stopped Adira on her way there to talk.
“You have a strong class. But you are still a novice in terms of combat experience. You endanger us on every mission. What you need is more practice. Return to the capital when you are level 35. Then we talk.”
“But the king told us-”
“It does not matter.” Kelgan interrupted her. “The final decision is mine.” Adira stood dumbfounded. She never expected they could force her to quit.
“Is she still there?” Selene picked her head through the tavern’s door. “Kel, let’s go, join us! Sorry, Adira, we cannot always babysit you.” She immediately hid, returning into the bustling insides of the drink house, evading meeting the eyes of Adira.
The young huntress watched longingly at Kelgan. No words were needed. He slowly nodded his goodbye. His cold and decisive demeanor did not offer any comfort. The man disappeared behind the door, and, probably, from her life. Adira stood in front of the tavern for some time. People passed shoving her out of the way. Eventually, she found herself back in the inn. The world suddenly turned over, throwing her into the darkness of the unknown. Her whole life the hunters cared for her, and now she was left alone.
Rage kept boiling inside Adira. She did not deserve this. She never asked for such a destructive class. Of course, the girl wanted something simple and straightforward, like ice magic. You point your finger, and boom, your target is hit! Or a warrior class. Swing your sword, and your abilities would let you swing it harder. Instead, her skills were too stupid for a mage, and she was too weak for a warrior. Why can they not understand that it was not her fault?
“Fine!” Adira marched through the streets. If her class is good for destruction, then she would do just that. Go into the forest. Kill the unkillable arachne. Hunt and get to level 70 before Kelgan. The girl grinned at the prospect of that. Her grin quickly twisted into a scowl. Kicking her from the team was a mistake and she will prove them wrong.
The girl moved further away from the roads, approaching the forest. She had a lot of time to think. All her thoughts revolved around her team and their decision. It was Selene’s idea. Or more likely a demand. The more Adira thought about it, the more obvious it seemed. That girl was jealous whenever someone else stole Kelgan’s attention from her.
“Childish stupid brat.” The girl hit the bushes with her glaive, making herself a path through the outskirts of the Forest of Monsters. She did not care about subtlety. If any monster heard her and came to attack, all for the better. They would face her might and anger. With these thoughts in mind, the girl marched forward.
Night approached fast. Adira faced a canyon crossing her way forward and moved alongside the cliffs. The opposite side opened below her revealing the beautiful moonlit forest below her. Flabbergasted by the view, the girl sat down beside the cliff. This was a good place to camp. The girl dropped her bag on the ground. She probably walked for the past four hours and did not know where she was anymore.
The ground moved in the distance, alerting Adira. Trees fell to the sides, giving space for something massive. A fight! The girl rushed along the edge to see and possibly interfere. If two monsters were fighting, it would be an easy experience for her. An enormous monster charged towards the cliff edge, crushing trees in its wake. Never in her life the huntress saw a monster’s approach by observing the destruction of the surroundings. The beast jumped into view, coming right her way. One of the strongest beasts of the region. The earth dragon.